Takatukahane

Ielele (or Iele) are fascinatingly beautiful feminine creatures in Romanian Mythology. They wear bells around their ankles and are usually naked, although in some areas they are said to be wearing white clothes. They usually dance in groups of 3, 5, 7 and 9, rarely in larger numbers.

They dance naked in the moonlight with their breasts almost covered by their disheveled hair, with candles on their hands. They live in desolate places such as forests, meadows or mountain cliffs. They are visible to human only when they dance.

I don’t want Ielele to get you excited after all these heavenly descriptions, because the moment you try to join their dance or they see you watching them, they take you in the middle of their dance and they can: Take your wit away Mute you or make you deaf Make you disappear without a trace.

They are quite malicious, especially to the young men. It is also believed that they kidnap children. Some sources write that Ielele is the spirit of cursed women who could not find peace even afterlife, while others write that they are the daughters of Alexander the Great.

I prefer to believe to another rumore for them: they are Dacian High Priestesses, the guardians of all nature.

Their descriptive names must not be used randomly, as they may be the basis for dangerous enchantments. It is believed that every witch knows at least nine of these pseudonyms and use them as the basis for spells.

After their hora dance is over, the grass disappears, the earth remains burnt and the circle becomes a sign of their passing. No animal dares to walk in that area and whoever passes through that circle will get sick. Therefore, stay away from the interesting circle forms you will see on the ground when you go to Romania, just in case.

• Iele – the Ladies of the Woods, Rolandia
• Iele: Mysterious Romanian Fairies, Julie Tetel Andresen
• Iele, Mythpedia
• Iele, Wikipedia